Rail connecting and supporting means



.J. H. JENNINGS.

RAIL CONNECTING AND SUPPORTING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, I92].

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RAIL CONNECTING AND SUPPORTING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED APR.20. I92].

1,382,424, PatentedJune 21, 1921 {SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTORNEKS ATENT OFFKIE.

JOHN HENRY JENNINGS, OF GEORGETOVJN, CONNECTICUT.

RAIL CONNECTING- AND SUPPORTING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 21, 1921.

Application filed April 20 1921. Serial No. 462,896.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JoHN H. JENNINGS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Georgetown, in the county of F airfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and Improved Rail Connecting andSupporting Means, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to rail joints and more particularly toconnecting and sup porting meansfor the meeting ends of a pair of rails.

The invention contemplates an effective means of connecting andsupporting the meeting ends of a pair of rails with a view of minimizingthe jar incident to the passage of the wheels of the rolling stock overthe rail ends, to prevent wear both on the rail heads at this point anda possible fracture or chipping of the wheels.

A. further object of the invention resides in the provision of asupporting and connecting means for the meeting ends of rails whichpositively prevents creeping of the same with respect to the ties.

A further object in view resides in the provision of a connecting andsupporting means of the character described which eliminatesthenecessity of altering in any manner the construction of standardrails which might tend to weaken the structure or add to the expense ofmanufacture of the same. j

A still further object in view resides in the provision of a connectingand supporting means for the meeting ends of rails which is readilyapplicable to or removable from the ties, and which when properly associated with the ties and rails provides a safe and efficientconnection therebetween and eliminates the possibility of spreading,

means illustrating the same associated with the meeting ends of a pairof rails.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line2-2 of Fig. 1.

Flg. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the chair members and bridgeplate removed and arranged in juxtaposition.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of one of the details of theinvention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view thereof.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference 10 and 11 designaterespectively the meeting ends of a pair of rails and 12 a pair ofadjacent ties underlying the same. The supporting and connecting meansinclude a pair of chair members 13, 13 of similar construction, a bridgeplate 14:, and angle bars 15, 15 of similar construction to each other.The chair members are each constructed from a rectangular piece ofmaterial of a length slightly less than the width of the tie and of awidth slightly less than the width of the base of the rail. Each of thechair members is provided with a pair of spaced parallel longitudinallyextending upstanding ribs 16 adapted to receive and embrace therebetweenthe rail base. The outer sides of said chair members are provided withspike-receiving openings 17 and 18, the latter passing through the ribs16. One end of the portion of the chair member which lies between theribs 16 is cut away as at 19 and the said cutaway portion is providedwith laterally extending recesses 20. The bridge plate 14 is providedwith intermediately bulged side walls 21 each having an inwardlyextending notch 22 centrally thereof. The opposite side walls of theends of the bridge plate converge and provide'a reduced neck 23 havinglaterally extending ears 24: at the oppositesides of the extrem- 1- itythereof. The upper surface of the bridge plate is longitudinallyconvexed as at 25, and the under side of the same is provided withspaced parallel transversely extending ribs 26. The reduced necks 28 ofthe bridge plate are designed to be received by the cutaway portion 19of the chair members and the cars 24 are adapted to interengage with therecesses 20 of said cutaway portion. The chair members are designed tobe arranged on the adjacent ties 12 which underlie the meeting ends 10and 11 of the rails order to prevent creeping of the rails longi-,

tudinally with relation to the supporting -means, the lower flanges oraprons of the angle bars are provided with depending lugs centrallythereof which are designed to be received by the notches 22 in thebridge ing chair'members adapted to be arrangedv plate. This arrangementlocks the railsand angle bars 15 to the bridge plate it retained againstlongitudinal movement by the depending ribs 26, and the interengagementof the ears 24 withthe recesses 20 of the chair members, which are inturn secured to the ties by the spikes, and the longitudinal convexityof the upper surface of the bridge plate illustrated at 25' insures aperfect aline-' ment of the meeting ends ofthe rail to prevent relativevertical movements therebe tween and affords a solid support therefor toprevent the sinking or sagging of the same.

It will thus be seen that a simple and eflicient connecting andsupporting means for the meeting ends of a pair of rails is providedwhich effectively supports the same, prevents creeping of the railsrelative to the ties, which eliminates all possibility of spreading ofthe-rails at this point, and which is comparatively inexpensive toproduce and install. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: I

1. Means for connecting and supporting the meeting ends of a pair ofrails comprising chair members adapted to be secured upon adjacent ties,a bridge member having the opposite extremities thereof interengageablyassociated with the chair members, and

angle bars secured to the opposite sides of the rail ends andinterengageably associated with the bridge plate. 1 v 2. Means forconnecting and supportlng the meeting ends of a pair of rails comprisonadjacent ties underlying the rail ends, longitudinally extendingparallel ribs between which the rail bases are confined against lateralmovement, a bridge plateinterengageably associated at its opposite endswith the chair members and upon which the rail endsare supported, anglebars traversing the opposite sides of the rail end, and

Securing spikes 27 are interengageable' means respectively provided onthe angle bars and the bridge plate'for locking the same againstrelative longitudinal movements.

3. A rail joining and supporting means comprising angle bars traversingthe opposite sides of the rails and clamped thereagainst, lugs dependingfrom the angle bars at opposite sides of the rail base, a bridge platesupported at its opposite ends on the adjacent ties underlying said railends, the said plate having notches in its opposite sides adapted toreceive the depending lugs of the angle bars for locking the rails andangle bars against longitudinal movement with respect to thebrid eplate, and chair members respectively secured to said ties havingparallel longitudinally extending ribs between which the rail bases areconfined against lateral movement, the confronting ends of said chairmembers having 7 bers between which the rail bases are confined, anglebars traversing the opposite sides of said rail ends and securedthereto, and lugs depending from the angle bars at opposite sides ofsaid rail bases, the said bridge plate having notches'in its oppositesides adapted to receive said lugs for lock-. ing the railsagainstrelative longitudinal movement.

5. The combination with the meeting ends of a pair of rails andsupporting ties underlying the same, of means adapted forconne'ctingsaid rails and supportingthe same on the ties, comprising.angle bars respectively secured to said rail ends at the opposite sidesthereof having dependinglugs, a

bridge plate supported at its opposite ends by the ties and underlyingsaid rail ends,

notched portions in the opposite sides of said bridge plate receivingsaid depending lugs, and rail base embracing members secured to saidties and lnterengageably as-V sociated with the opposite extremitiesofthe base plate.

JOHN HENRY JENNINGS-

